Putin a 'Ray of Light' on Latin America Tour

[Purveyor]

Ortega Celebrates Putin's Nicaragua Visit as a 'Ray of Light'



President Vladimir Putin visited three Latin American countries over the weekend in a whirlwind tour aimed at demonstrating Moscow's resilience as an international power despite Western attempts at isolation stemming from the Ukraine crisis.

Putin began his trip with visits to Cuba and Argentina, before traveling on to Brazil in time for the World Cup Final on Sunday. He signed a range of deals along the way, including agreements to establish Glonass positioning stations in each country, as well as a nuclear power plant development deal with Argentina.

Although the visit to what for strategic purposes is broadly viewed as the U.S.'s backyard was planned prior to Kiev's regime change, analysts see the trip as a geopolitical move in the context of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Vladimir Davydov, director of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Latin America Institute, told The Moscow Times on Sunday that the trip illustrates the point that while Russia is more than simply a regional power, it is not striving to become a global superpower.

"Russia wants to counterbalance the U.S., but it wants to do so together with China and other BRICS countries. Russia positions itself as a separate pole of power, but not as a single alternative," he said in a phone interview.

more...

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/putin-a-ray-of-light-on-latin-america-tour/503358.html

[malaise]

1. Counterbalance is very necessary

on this planet

[Purveyor]

2. Never so apparent than the history of the last 10-12 years. The US has demonstrated

that it alone is not responsible enough to be the soul 'super-power' on this planet.

[malaise]

3. None is responsible but better have one irresponsible check the other

It works out better for the rest of humanity and sure forced the West to pretend their cared about constitutional rights and freedoms.

[amandabeech]

4. It is doubtful that the Russian military is capable of attacking, occupying

and, illegally, under international law, annexing part of the sovereign territory of any Western Hemisphere nation at this time.

But of course, Russia has not signed an international agreement to respect the borders of any of these countries, so maybe it is premature to judge his motives.